Door check



Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR CHECK Andrew C. Popivalo, Sanger, Calif.

Application July 26, 1938, Serial No. 221,320

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in rdoor checks` and has particular reference to a device of the character described that is adapted for controlling the opening and closing movements of a door.

It is proposed in this invention to provide a door check which is simple in construction, light in weight, durable and e'flicient for the purpose intended, and adapted ,to be used on either righthand or left-hand opening doors.

It is furthe-r proposed to provide a door check that does not require any interior adjustment or alteration when applied to either a right-hand or a left-hand opening door.

It is still further proposed to arrange the main part of the door check mechanism in such a manner that either a spring-containing cartridge or a duid-containing cartridge may be inserted thereinto, the cartridge in either case being made to coact with the remaining parts of the door check for controlling the opening and the closing movements of the door.

A further object resides in the provision of a door check that is adapted to oppose the rapid opening of the door, and which will initially urge the door toward closing position. During the final stage of door closing, the door check will oppose the closing movement, thus bringing the door to nal closing without slamming.

VOther objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features will be set lforth in the claims hereto appended.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference Ashould be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which: f

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the door check as applied to a door;

Figure 2 a verticalv sec-tion taken throughthe central part of the Idoor check;

Figure 3 a horizontal transverse sectional View taken along the line III--III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 a view similar to Figure 2, but showing a modification of part of the mechanism;

Figure 5 a horizontal section taken along the line V-V of Figure 4.; and

Figure 6 a diagrammatic view showing the operation of the mechanism illustrated in the modified form.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, it should be made clear that various changes or modifications may be made Within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In carrying my invention into practise, I provide a door check indicated generally at I, which is adapted to control the opening and closing movements of a door 2, the latter being hinged as at 3 to a frame or door casing 4. Part of the door frame extends over the door as at 5 in the i5: usual manner, and I utilize this part as a fixed anchorage for one end 6 of the shaft-actuating mechanism I, the opposite e-nd 8 being fastened to the main shaft 9 of the door check.

Referring to the details of construction, it will 10 be noted that I make use of a housing IG, which is made cylindrical in outline. The bore Il of the housing is uniform in diameter and the top of the housing is closed at I2, while the lower end of the housing is left open as at I3. The 15 shaft 9 has a bearing in the top of the housing at I4 and the lower end of the shaft extends through a bearing I5 in a cup-shaped member I6 vnormally forming a closure over the open end of the housing.

The shaft 9 is thus journaled in the rhousing for turning movement, which is imparted thereto by the shaft-actuating mechanism as the door is opened and closed. Vertical movement of the shaft 9 is prevented by a thrust bearing I'I. The 25 housing is adapted to be secured to a support, such as the door 2, by a Winged bracket I8, the latterhaving'screws I9 passing therethrough for fastening the bracket to the door.

In Figure 2 I show a spiral spring 20 encircling 30 the shaft 9 in the upper part of the housing, one end of the spring being fastened to the shaft at 2|, while the other end of the spring is anchored to the housing as at 22. The direction of the coils of the spring is such as to cause the shaft 9 35 to be urged in a counterclockwise direction in Figure 1. l

Within the bore Il of the housing, and below the spring 20, I mount a sleeve 23, the upper edge of the sleeve being fashioned With a cam 40 face 24. The sleeve is mounted with freedom of axial movement along the shaft 9 and this movement is resisted as the sleeve moves downwardly by a spring 2 5. The wall 26 of the cup-shaped lmemberl I6 serves as a guide forthe sleeve as 45 the latter moves axially relative to the shaft 9.

The lower end of the spring 25 rests in an annular groove 21 formed in the bottom 28 of the cup-shaped member I6. The bottom 28 is made adjustable by threading the same into the verti- 5() cal wall of the member I6 as at 29. By turning the bottom 28 the tension on the spring 25 can be varied.

Referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that apin`3II exten-ds diametrically 55 through the shaft 9. Rollers 3| are disposed on the pin on opposite sides of the shaft 9 and these rollers are arranged to ride upon the cam face 24 previously mentioned. Y

As the shaft 9 is turned in a clockwise direction in Figure 1 during the opening of the door 2, the rollers 3l are caused to move along inclined sectionsv 32 of the cam face 24. If the door is opened suiciently wide, the rollers are brought to rest in notches 33 to retain the door from closing.

Upon moving the door 2 toward closed position the spring 2i) and the spring 25 both coact in urging the door closed, since both are under tension. However, before the door reaches its final closed position, the rollers 3| are caused to ride up inclines 34, thus again moving the sleeve 23 downwardly and compressing the spring 25. This prevents the door from slamming. It will be noted that the springs 20 and 25 coact in urging the door closed during its initial closing movement and oppose each other during the final stage of the door closing.

The sleeve 23 is held against rotation during its axial movement by pins 35 extending therefrom into vertical slots 35 in the wall 26 of the cup-shaped member i6. The cup-shaped member I5 in turn is fastened to the housing I0 by screws 3l or other suitable fastening means. Upon removing the screws 31 the cup-shaped member I6, the spring 25 and the sleeve 23 may be removed from the housing I0 as a unit.

'Ihe door check has been illustrated in Figure 1 as being applied to a right-hand opening door, the latter swinging open in the direction of the arrow 33. In attaching the door check to a lefthand opening door, the entire door check is merely inverted and the shaft-actuating mechanism 'l is` secured to the end 39 of the shaft 9, which is at that time arranged uppermost. No further adjustment is required in the door check itself in changing from one type of door to the other.

In Figures 4 and 5 I show the door check as having a huid-control mechanism embodied therein. The shaft 9, the thrust bearing Il and the coil spring 2B are arranged in the bore Il of the housing Il] in the same manner as hereinabove described. In this form a piston 40 is mounted transversely across the lower end of the shaft 9, an opening 4I being provided to allow the piston to move axially. A spline 42 extends from the shaft 9 and engages with a groove 43 in the piston 40.

As the shaft 9 turns in a clockwise direction in Figure 5 in response to an opening movement of the door 2, the piston 4B is moved to the left. However, during the last part of the opening of the door the spline 42 disengages from the groove 43, thus stopping further movement of the piston to the left in Figure 5. Upon closing the door the spline is again engaged with the groove during the later part of the door closing.

A cap 44 is. used to close the lower end of the housing l0 in Figure 4. This cap is removably secured in place by screws 44 passing through the wall of the housing and into vertical ears 45 eX- tending upwardly from the cap. A pair of liquidtight reservoirs 45 are fastened to the cap 44 by screws 46 and these reservoirs are disposed at opposite ends of the piston 40. The confronting walls of the reservoirs are iiexible diaphragms 41, which are secured to the ends of the piston 4D. Any movement of the piston will impart a like movement to the diaphragms.

Conduits 48 and 49 interconnect the reservoirs and each conduit has a passageway leading from one reservoir to the other reservoir. However, the passageway section 50 in the conduit 48 is larger than the passageway section 5| in the other conduit 49. Spring-pressed valve 52 is mounted in the conduit 48 and a spring-pressed valve 53 in the passageway of the conduit 49. Both reservoirs are filled with a suitable fluid, and as the piston 40 moves to the left in Figure 5 fluid is forced from the reservoir 45a through the conduit 48 into the reservoir 45h. This takes place during the opening of the door 2, and the size of the passageway section 5l) allows the door to be opened without great resistance.

As the door 2 is moved toward closed position the spline 42 again enters the groove 43 in the piston 40, thereby moving the piston to the right during the final closing of the door. Fluid is now forced from the reservoir 45h through the smaller passageway section 5l in the conduit 49 andinto the reservoir 45a. This retards the closing of the door and prevents the latter from slamming.

The cap 44 may be removed from the bottom of the housing I0 by first taking out the screws 44 and then withdrawing the cap. The reservoirs 45, the conduits 48 and 49, and the piston 4D will also be removed with the cap.

In both forms of my invention it will be noted that the shaft 9 protrudes above and below the housing, whereby the shaft-actuating mechanism may be fastened to the proper end of the shaft depending upon the side of the door to which the hinges 3 are fastened.

I claim:

1. In a door check, a housing having means for securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated by a door for turning the shaft in response to opening and closing movements of the door, and means operable on the shaft to oppose turning of the latter during opening of the door and coacting with the shaft to first aid and then oppose closing movement of the door.

2. In a door check, a housing having means for securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated by a door for turning the shaft in response to opening and closing movements of the door, yielding means within the housing operable on the shaft to oppose turning of the latter during the opening of the door and to aid in closing the door during return movement, and a second yielding means in the housing also opposing turning of the shaft as the door is opened and coacting with the shaft to aid in closing the door during the initial closing movement thereof, the two yielding means being arranged to oppose each other during the final closing of the door, whereby the latter is prevented from slamming. Y,

3. In a door check, a housing having means for securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated Vby a door for turning the shaft in response to opening'a'nd closing movements of the door, yielding means within the housing operable on the shaft to oppose turning of the latter during the opening of the door and to aid in closing the door during return movement, a second yielding means in the housing also opposing turning of the shaft as the door is opened and coacting with the shaft to aid in closing the door during the initial closing movement thereof, the two yielding means being arranged to oppose each other during the final closingl of the door, whereby the latter is prevented from slamming, and means mounting the second-named yielding means for withdrawal from the housing as a unit.

4. In a door check, a housing having means for securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated by a door for turning the shaft in response to opening and closing movements of the door, a roller extending from the shaft, a sleeve slidable on the shaft and guided by the latter in an axial direction and mounted against rotation, the sleeve having a cam face coacting with the roller and shaped to impart axial movement to the sleeve during opening of the door, and yielding means opposing said axial movement of the sleeve as the door is opened and urging the cam face against the roller to turn the shaft during the closing of the door.

5. In a door check, a housing having means for securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated by a door for turning the shaft in response to opening and closing movements of the door, a pin extending transversely through the shaft and having rollers on the opposite ends thereof on diametrically opposite sides of the shaft, a sleeve slidable on the shaft in an axial direction and mounted against rotation, the sleeve having a cam face coacting with the rollers and shaped to impart axial movement to the sleeve during the opening of the door, and yielding means opposing said axial movement of the sleeve as the door is opened and urging the cam face against the rollers to turn the shaft during the closing of the door.

6. In a door check, a housing having means for securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated by a door for turning the shaft in response to opening and closing movements of the door, a roller extending from the shaft, a sleeve slidable on the shaft in an axial direction having a cam face coacting with the roller and shaped to impart axial movement to the sleeve during the opening of the door, the housing having an open end, a cupishaped member telescoped into said open end to close the latter, coacting means between the cup and the sleeve to hold the latter against rotation, and yielding means arranged between the sleeve and the bottom of the cup to oppose said axial movement of the sleeve as the door is opened and urging the cam face against the roller to turn the shaft during the closing of the door.

7. In a door check, a housing having means for securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated by-a door for turning the shaft in response to opening and closing movements of the door, a roller extending from the shaft, a sleeve slidable on the shaft in an axial direction having a cam face coacting f with the roller and shaped to impart axial movement to the sleeve during the opening of the door, the housing having an open end, a cupshaped member telescoped into said open end to close the latter, coacting means between the cup and the sleeve to hold the latter against rotation, the sleeve having a sliding fit with the wall of the cup-shaped member and guided by the latter, and yielding means arranged between the sleeve and the bottom of the cup to oppose said axial movement of the sleeve as the door is opened and urging the cam face against the roller to turn the shaft during the closing of the door.

8. In a door check, a housing having means fer securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated by a door for turning the shaft in response to opening and closing movements of the door, a roll-er extending from the shaft, a sleeve slidable on the shaft in an axial direction and mounted against rotation, the sleeve having a cam face coacting with the roller and shaped to impart axial movement to the sleeve during opening of the door, the

cam face having a notch therein to receive the roller after the door has been opened a predetermined distance, and yielding means opposing said axial movement of the sleeve as the door is opened and urging the cam face against the roller to turn the shaft during the closing `of the door.

9. In a door check, a housing having means for securing the same to a support, a shaft journaled in the housing, means operated by a door for turning the shaft in response to opening and closing movements of the door, yielding means within the housing operable on the shaft tooppose turning of the latter during the opening of the door and to aid in closing the door during return movement, a piston mounted transversely of the shaft, means for moving the piston axially as the shaft is turned, a pair of reservoirs arranged at opposite ends of the piston and having confronting diaphragm walls fasten-ed to the opposite ends of the piston, the reservoirs having fluid therein, and valve-controlled passage- L) Ways interconnecting the reservoirs, the valve in one passageway being arranged to control fiow of fluid in the opposite direction from that of the valve in the other passageway.

ANDREW o. PoPIvALo. 

